Will my eggs be dead?

[jaybanana]

So I went home today after being out from 10am, to find that mumma hen had gotten out of her secluded spot, and wasn't sitting on her eggs. I put her back, and she went straight back to the eggs, but I have no idea how long she had been off them for.

It got to 32c (89.6f) today, (it was 27c/81f when I went out) hovering between 30-40% humidity, and the nesting box is metal, and mostly in the sun. What are the chances of the eggs being alive still? Is it likely that they are all dead? How long can mumma hen stay off them before they die?

I hate the thought that we might have lost them all. It is day 6 of her sitting on them.

 

[sumi]

I've had hens get off their nests for long periods and the eggs were fine. With the temperature you mentioned and the humidity I reckon they'll be O.K. But they may hatch a bit later than expected due to the cooling down period. The only thing that worries me a bit is the metal nest box sitting in the sun. It may get a bit warm in there for Mom.

 

[silkiechicken]

I've had eggs sit overnight at room temperature a week into incubation still make it. With those temps, I bet they will be fine.

 

[katsdar]

I think if mama is broody she isn't gonna let her babies die, they do take bathroom,stretching,eating breaks. I now know why we don't sit on our eggs, we'd worry too much

 

[jaybanana]

I think if mama is broody she isn't gonna let her babies die, they do take bathroom,stretching,eating breaks. I now know why we don't sit on our eggs, we'd worry too much

The problem was, her section is fenced off, and when she got out, she couldn't get back into her eggs!

 

[jaybanana]

The only thing that worries me a bit is the metal nest box sitting in the sun. It may get a bit warm in there for Mom.

I have some shade cloth I've gotten, and I've got to rig it up this week to provide her with some extra shade, because it worried me too!

 

[katsdar]

oh, I didn't get that part that she couldn't get back to her eggs, but I still think they will be fine.

 

[jaybanana]

We had two hatch today, and I posted another thread with some questions:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...tched-eggs-newbie-needs-help-natural-hatching

 

[melina90]

A friend of mine received hatching eggs in the mail, and they were frozen - 3 out of 15 had cracked, and they were all really cold. Anyways, she put them all in the incubator just to try, even though we all were sure nothing would come out of them, but 5 out of 12 eggs were alive! Pretty amazing. They hatched yesterday, only three of them made it, but considering the fact that they were actually frozen that isn't bad at all. Nature can be mysterious